Harold O' Neil
Harold O' Neil '( 25 September 1928 - ) is an Irish American Businessman, Historian, Powerful Speaker during the Civil Rights Movement for Missouri, and a war veteran of the Korean War from Lee, County Missouri. Robert was born in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania to an Irish Father named Patrick Robertson and an Irish Mother named Mary O' Sheelan (Later Robertson). In 1941 his father was drafted into the US Marines when the United States entered World War II. His father was killed at Guadocanal in 1942 during the Pacific Theater from a direct hit from a Japanese Mortar Shell killing two other Marines as well. Harold grew up hating the Japanese for killing his father and didn't like Communism or Fascism one bit. He packed his bags and left for Lee County after the war to get away from the North because of the constant fear of Communism lurking around every corner. Harold was related to Edward Asbury O' Neal who was his Great, great grandfather and a Confederate Officer during the American Civil War and later became to be 26th Govoner of Alabama. Harold is known as '"Uncle Walter" 'by many citizens of Lee County, but some perfer just to call him by his birth name of Harold O' Neil. Origins and the Great Depression Harold was born to an Irish - American Family who immigrated to America from Ireland during the Mid - 1920's who had strong connections to Christianity and Conservative Republican Reviews. Harold was born September 25, 1928 and survived the Great Depression. Harold developed a disease called ''"Graves Disease" ''which attacks the immune system by causing his eyes to bulge out uncontrolably. The disease isn't fatal, but it caused him to look different for the rest of his life. Early Life Harold lived out most of his life in Philidelphia where he often got bullied for having Graves Disease and a thick Irish Accent. He never gived into the bullies, he never let them tell him who they thought he was. Karma got to them all and his bullies were drafted into World War II and were mostly killed during the war. Harold being under age unlike his classmate bullies is what saved him from the draft at the time of the war. Military Career Harold enlisted in the US Navy 7th Fleet (Pacific Fleet), Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division January 16, 1949 as a hospital corpsman and a battlefield medic during his military career. He earned the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class for saving countless lives in the midst of battle during the Battle of Inchon in 1950. He later rose to the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class for doing the same thing at the Battle of Bloody Ridge in 1951 later earning two medals of honor, one from the Navy, and the other from the Marine Corps. During his military srvices, Harold caught the disease Maleria which put him on a specific medication to prevent it from killing him but made him bed ridden for almost a year. Harold survived the war and earned countless medals and ribbons during his servece in the Korean War deticated to the war itself and his actions. Life In Lee County Harold moved to Lee County, Missouri August 12, 1953 ahortly after he returned home from the Korean War. It is there that he became a business owner and lived out his life happily at '"Lee County Stop & Go." He befriended Robert Foland, and Sheriff James Lewis. The Civil Rights Movement In the Late - 1950's and Early - 1960's tensions for freedom and civil rights grew stronger and stronger. Harold was a supporter of the Civil Rights Movement for equal rights among all men and women. He was one of the meny Whites in America who were pushing for equal rights for all Americans and was a powerful speaker for Missouri and the Upper South. He was known to Irish - Americans as '''Michael Collins of the Upper South '''and was seen as a hero to all Americans. Although, just like Martin Luther King Jr. he wanted kids to go out and protest instead of adults. Student's Education of the Korean War in Missouri Harold would visit all of the schools in Lee County who hit the Cold War Chapter in school which usually takes almost a week to get to all of the schools in the county. Harold has been doing this to help educate kids about what was going on during the Korean War and what it was like. Harold first started to do this in 1957 for the student's education. Then later on in the years he started to talk about the Cold War itself and the Vietnam War. When Harold comes for each Korean War presentation at each of the schools, he has permission to bring in any items nessecary from the Korean War. He would commonly bring in most of the food rations, his M1 Carbine, his M1 Steel Pot Helemt with US Marines Camoflauge, Rifle/Pistol ammo clips, and other items that would have been carried by a US Soldier/Sailor at the time of the war.